Research
Research
Embedded Files
Our research is characterised by the development and use of novel experimental and theoretical techniques and original ideas to study information processing in the sensory-neural circuits of flies. We have the expertise both to build innovative analytical methods and instruments and then exploit them scientifically, a unique and powerful combination.
Little is known about how the world is represented as brain activity patterns at cellular resolution, and how these patterns are updated, stored and recalled during learning and behaviour. Addressing these questions will lead to a real mechanistic understanding of how perception, memory and mind emerge from collective neural activity.
Theory of morphodynamic information processing: linking sensing to behaviour and cognition
Theory of morphodynamic information processing: linking sensing to behaviour and cognition
The traditional understanding of brain function has focused mainly on chemical and electrical processes. However, new research on fruit fly (Drosophila) binocular vision reveals that ultrafast photomechanical photoreceptor movements significantly enhance information processing, shaping a fly’s perception and behaviour. The coding advantages from these mechanical processes suggest that similar motion-based strategies may contribute to neural communication more generally.
The theory of neural morphodynamics proposes that rapid biomechanical movements and microstructural changes in neurons and synapses enhance the speed and efficiency of sensory information processing, intrinsic thoughts, and actions by regulating neural signals in a phasic manner. Using insects as model systems, we study how morphodynamic information processing—spanning molecular interactions to network dynamics—has adapted to high-speed saccadic behaviours and decision-making. These mechanisms drive predictive coding and synchronise neural networks with perception, cognition, and behaviour.
Funding
Funding
Our work has been funded by research grants and/or fellowships from: BBSRC; BBSRC/NSF; EPSRC; The Royal Society; The Leverhulme Trust; Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation; Gatsby Charitable Foundation; The Academy of Finland; The Wellcome Trust; The University of Sheffield; ESRF (EU); DESY (Germany); National Science Foundation of China; National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing, China.
Page updated
Report abuse